Infant&#39;s shoe



R. L. DIVELEY ET AL INFANT S SHOE Filed Sept. 1927 INVENTOR Rex LvU/Ve/ey FM 0. 0/0 son ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 12,1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

IBEX L. DIVELEY AND FRANK D. DICKSON, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

INFANTS SHOE.

Application filed September 8, 1927. Serial No. 218,194.

Our invention relates to footwear and more particularly to articles of that description of a corrective nature for infants.

A large proportion of children tend more or less to flat-footcdness, and pronation of the foot inward. This practice, if allowed to continue, tends to extreme fiat-foot, and distortion of the bones of the foot. Many devices have been provided to correct anatomical faults and improper positions, the complexity of the problem often resultmg 1n provisions that while compensating for one defective feature of foot structure may aggravate another; and hazarding improper adjustment through lack of accurate d agnosis. The general object of our invention 1s to provide a shoe which will overcome pract cally all of the foot conditions encountered 1n small children with reference to unfavorable positioning and conditions of the feet, particularly of heel and arch portions, and at the same time avoid distortion of bones, joints, nerves or muscles which may in the wearer be in normal condition.

A particular object of our invention is to provide for the positioning of the childs foot in the shoe for support of the long arch of the foot structure, and by means of tilting the heel bone outward to overcome the pronation of the average foot.

In accomplishing these and other ob ects we have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereln:

F ig. 1 is a perspective View of a childs shoe constructed in accordance with our invention.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the outer and inner soles of the shoe and our invention installed therewith.

Fig. 3 is a similar view of parts shown in Fig. 2, partly disassembled but in related order.

Fig. 4 is a transverse, vertical section on the line 4-4, Fig. 2.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

1 designates upper portions of a shoe, 2 an outer sole, 3 a welt and 4: stitching whereby the welt, engaging, in the usual manner not shown, the upper portions, is secured to the outer sole. 5 represents an inner sole as ordinarily provided in a shoe.

Our device is installed upon manufacture between the outsole and the insole and comprises two elements, a three-sided longitudinal arch lift 6 having an exterior edge 7 aligned with the inner margin of the out- Solo; and a combined heel and arch lift 8 having an exterior edge extending from the rear of the heel forwardly to the anterior arch on the inner margin of the outsole, and an opposite exterior edge extending forwardly to the forward edge of the heel bone or the normal position of the front portion of the heel on the outer margin of the outsole; both of which elements will be more particularly de scribed and their functions stated.

The exterior edge 7 of the three-sided lift 6 is positioned in a shoe to extend from a point 10 on the inner margin of the outsole adjacent the mid-portion of the heel bone forwardly to a point 11, the anterior margin of the long arch, the points 10 and 11 indicating also the ends of the exterior edge of the member. The other edges of the member designated 12 and 13, approach each other arcuately on convex curves and join at a point 1d representing the extreme lateral extent of the member across the shoe, the point 14 be ing substantially in the median line of the longitudinal arch and extends approximately two-thirds of the distance from the inner to the outer margin of the outsole. The memher is skived laterally from the exterior edge andv also forwardly and rearwardly so that the edges 12 and 13 are made feather edges.

The heel and arch lift 8, which is of the type commonly known as the heel lift, is provided and positioned to register with the outsole over the heel zone portion thereof, the inneredge extending forwardly into the metatarsal arch at the point 15 and the outer edge extending forwardly to the point 16, being the anterior position of the spring heel. The lift member 8 is skived forwardly adjacent its oblique forward edge to a feather edge; and laterally from approximately its median line to its outer edge, said outer edge having substantial thickness, but less than the thickness of the inner edge and substantially half the thickness of the inner edge.

The lift member 8 is installed in position by gluing it to the insole, and the member 6 is glued to the member 8, the two then being glued to the outsole. The upper, welt and insole can then be assembled in the usual manner.

The infants shoes in which the device is to be installed are wide and roomy, providing ample space for the expansion and slid ing of the transverse arch of the foot, and the member 6 lifts the longitudinal arch by tilting with direct pressure on the arch; and

' the body properl' The limited len its skiving forward y andmember 8 and produces a specific tilting of 9 the heel bone. i

The member 8 also tilts the heel and longitudinal arch outwardly to cause the weight to be carried on the outside portion of the foot and it is skivedto a relatively thin outer edge to permitthe outer portion of the foot to bear normally and equally on the outsole.

The wedge members further, by tending to tilt the arches and enforce bearing of Weight by the outer portion of the longitudmal' arch, induce and encourage the wearer of the shoe to point the foot to the front, as children tend to do except when mechanical foot weaknesses inhibit; whereby the habit ofsupporting weight on the outer and stronger part of the foot is estab-' lished. The forward portions of the elements are accommodated to the form and function of the hall of the foot. f

The construction described rovides for a smooth insole, the lifting andtilting elements being so arranged thatthey exert their influence without consciousness of their presence on the part of the wearer.

While we have described a particular method of construction of a childs shoe to provide for incorporation of the lift'memhers with the sole elements, the shoe parts and the lift members may be differently assembled to accomplish our object of providing lift members adapted to influence the foot supported by the shoe as described.

What we claim and desire to secure by Let- Y te'rs Patent is:

1. A corrective shoe for infants comprising in combination with an outsole, a wedge having a forward transverse feather edge extending obliquely from a point on the inner .-,border of the metatarsal zone to the anterior margin of the heel bone' zone on the outer margin of the sole, and increasing in thickness from the outer margin toward the inner 2. A corrective shoe for infants compris ing in combination with an outsole, a wedge having a forward transverse feather edge extending from a point on the inner border of the metatarsal zone to a point on the outer border of the tarsal zone, and a triangular wedge inserted between said first-named wedge and the outsole having its outer margin aligned with the inner margin of the outsole and its enclosed margins arcuately extending to a point beyond the median line of the outsole. ,1

3. A corrective shoe for infants vcompr'sing in combination with an outsole, a wedge having an oblique forward transverse feather edge, and a triangular wedge inserted between the first-named wedge and the outsole having its outer margin aligned with the innermargin of the outsole and its enclosed margins extending to a point beyond the median line of the outsole and skived to feather edges. 4. In combination with the outsole of a childs shoe, a wedge fixed'to the outsole extending from the rear edge of the outsole to the metatarsal zone on the inner margin thereof and to the tarsal zone on the outer margin, and skived adjacent the metatarsal zone to a transverse feather ed e, and a threeedged wedge fixed between t e first-named wedge and the sole and positioned rearwardly of the metatarsal zone with its thickest portion forward of the heel zone and extending laterally from the inner margin of the sole beyond the median line thereof and Skl'VCd. laterally to a feather edge. 5. A corrective shoe for infants comprising in combination with an outsole, a heel tilting member having substantially equal thickness on its inner margin throughout its length and a forward feather edge and skived adjacent its outer margin to marginal thickness approximately half that of the inner margin, and a longitudinal arch lift member comprising a three-sided element inserted between the first-named lift and the outsole. 6. In combination with the outsole of a childs shoe, a lift fixed to the outsole covering the heel and tarsal zones and skived for-. wardly adjacent its forward transverse margin to a feather edge, and a triangular wedge inserted between the lift and the outsole extending forwardly to the anterior margin of the longitudinal arch and rearwardly to the mid-portion of the heel bone position and skived forwardly and rearwardly to thin edges whereby the wedge elevates the longitudinal arch of the foot.

7. A shoe comprising in combination with a sole,- a wedge having a forward transverse feather edge extending obliquely from a point on the inner border of the metatarsal zone to the anterior margin of the heel bone zone on the outer margin of the sole, and increasing in thickness from the outer margin toward the inner margin,

8. In combination with a sole of a shoe, a lift fixed to the sole covering the heel and tarsal zones and skived forwardly adjacent its forward transverse margin to a feather edge, and a triangular wedge inserted between the lift' and the -sole extending forwardly to the anterior margin of the longitudinal arch and rearwardly to the mid-portion of the heel bone position and skived forwardly and rearwardly to thin edges whereby the wedge elevates the longitudinal arch of the foot.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures. v

, REX L. DIVELEY.

FRANK D. DICKSON. 

